Hydrodynamic Comparison of a Semi-submersible,TLP,and Spar:Numerical Study in the South China Sea Environment

The South China Sea contains tremendous oil and gas resources in deepwater areas. However, one of the keys for deepwater exploration, the investigation of deepwater floating platforms, is very inadequate. In this paper, the authors studied and compared the hydrodynamics and global motion behaviors of typical deepwater platforms in the South China Sea environment. The hydrodynamic models of three main types of floating platforms, e.g. the Semi-submersible, tension leg platform （TLP）, and Truss Spar, which could potentially be utilized in the South China Sea, were established by using the 3-D potential theory. Additionally, some important considerations which significantly influence the hydrodynamics were given. The RAOs in frequency domains as well as global motions in time domains under time-varying wind, random waves, and current in 100-y, 10-y, and 1-y return period environment conditions were predicted, compared, and analyzed. The results indicate that the heave and especially the pitch motion of the TLP are favorable. The heave response of the Truss Spar is perfect and comparable with that of the TLP when the peak period of random waves is low. However, the pitch motion of Truss Spar is extraordinarily lar^er than that of Semi-submersible and TLP.

Coupling of Peridynamics and Numerical Substructure Method for Modeling Structures with Local Discontinuities

Peridynamics(PD)is a widely used theory to simulate discontinuities,but its application in real-world structural problems is somewhat limited due to the relatively low-efficiency.The numerical substructure method(NSM)presented by the authors and co-workers provides an efficient approach for modeling structures with local nonlinearities,which is usually restricted in problems of continuum mechanics.In this paper,an approach is presented to couple the PD theory with the NSM for modeling structures with local discontinuities,taking advantage of the powerful capability of the PD for discontinuities simulation and high computational efficiency of the NSM.The structure is simulated using liner elastic finite element(FE)model while the local cracking regions are isolated and simulated using a PD substructure model.A force corrector calculated from the PD model is applied on the FE model to consider the effect of discontinuities.The PD is integrated in the substructure model using interface elements with embedded PD nodes.The equations of motions of both the NSM system and the PD substructure are solved using the central difference method.Three examples of two-dimensional(2D)concrete cantilever beams under the concentrated force are investigated to verify the proposed coupling approach.

Analysis and Zonation of Freeze–Thaw Action in the Chinese Plateau Region Considering Spatiotemporal Climate Characteristics

Concerns about the durability of transportation infrastructure due to freeze-thaw(F-T)cycles are particu-larly significant in the Chinese plateau region,where concrete aging and performance deterioration pose substantial challenges.The current national standards for the frost resistance design of concrete struc-tures are based predominantly on the coldest monthly average temperature and do not adequately address the comprehensive effects of the spatiotemporal variance,amplitude,and frequency of F-T cycles.To address this issue,this study introduced a spatiotemporal distribution model to analyze the long-term impact of F-T action on concrete structures by employing statistical analysis and spatial inter-polation techniques.Cluster analysis was applied to create a nationwide zonation of F-T action level from data on the freezing temperature,temperature difference,and the number of F-T cycles.Furthermore,this study explored the similarity between natural environmental conditions and laboratory-accelerated tests using hydraulic pressure and cumulative damage theories.A visualization platform that incorporates tools for meteorological data queries,environmental characteristic analyses,and F-T action similarity calculations was designed.This research lays theoretical groundwork and provides technical guidance for assessing service life and enhancing the quantitative durability design of concrete structures in the Chinese plateau region.

BEHAVIOR OF AIR-ENTRAINED CONCRETE AFTER FREEZE-THAW CYCLES

The experimental study of air-entrained concrete specimens subjected to different cycles of freeze-thaw was completed. The dynamic modulus of elasticity, weight loss, the cubic compressive strength, compressive strength, tensile strength and cleavage strength of air-entrained concrete were measured after 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 cycles of freeze-thaw. The experimental results showed that the dynamic modulus of elasticity and strength decreased as the freeze-thaw was repeated. The influences of freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical properties, the dynamic modulus of elasticity and weight loss were analyzed according to the experimental results. It can serve as a reference for the maintenance, design and the life prediction of dams, hydraulic structures, offshore structures, concrete roads and bridges in northern cold regions.

Dust Effect on the Performance of Wind Turbine Airfoils

The full two-dimensional Navier-Stokes algorithm and the SST k-? turbulence model were used to investigate incom-pressible viscous flow past the wind turbine two-dimensional airfoil under clean and roughness surface conditions. The NACA 63-430 airfoil is chosen to be the subject, which is widely used in wind turbine airfoil and generally located at mid-span of the blade with thickness to chord length ratio of about 0.3. The numerical simulation of the airfoil under clean surface condition has been done. As a result, the numerical results had a good consistency with the experimental data. The wind turbine blade surface dust accumulation according to the operational periods in natural environment has been taken into consideration. Then, the lift coefficients and the drag coefficients of NACA 63-430 airfoil have been computed under different roughness heights, different roughness areas and different roughness locations. The role that roughness plays in promoting premature transition to turbulence and flow separation has been verified by the numeri-cal results. The trends of the lift coefficients and the drag coefficients with the roughness height and roughness area increasing have been obtained. What’s more, the critical values of roughness height, roughness area, and roughness location have been proposed. Furthermore, the performance of the airfoil under different operational periods has been simulated, and an advice for the period of cleaning wind turbine blades is proposed. As a result, the numerical simula-tion method has been verified to be economically available for investigation of the dust effect on wind turbine airfoils.

Tailoring Anti-Impact Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete by Incorporating Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes

Replacing micro-reinforcing fibers with carbon nanotubes(CNTs)is beneficial for improving the impact properties of ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC);however,the weak wettability and dispersibility of CNTs and the weakly bonded interface between CNTs and UHPC limit their effectiveness as composites.Therefore,this study aims to enhance the reinforcement effect of CNTs on the impact properties of UHPC via functionalization.Unlike ordinary CNTs,functionalized CNTs with carboxyl or hydroxyl groups can break the Si-O-Ca-O-Si coordination bond in the C-S-H gel and form a new network in the UHPC matrix,effectively inhibiting the dislocation slip inside UHPC matrix.Furthermore,functionalized CNTs,particularly carboxyl-fu nctionalized CNTs,co ntrol the crystallization process and microscopic morphology of the hydration products,significantly decreasing and even eliminating the width of the aggregate-matrix interface transition zone of the UHPC.Moreover,the functionalized CNTs further decrease the attraction of the negatively charged silicate tetrahedron to Ca2+in the C-S-H gel,while modifying the pore structure(particularly the nanoscale pore structure)of UHPC,leading to the expansion of the intermediate CS-H layer.The changes in the microstructures of UHPC brought about by the functionalized CNTs significantly enhance its dynamic compressive strength,peak strain,impact toughness,and impact dissipation energy at strain rates of 200-800 s^(-1).Impact performance of UHPC containing a small amount of carboxyl-functionalized CNTs(especially the short ones)is generally better than that of UHPC containing hydroxyl-functionalized and ordinary CNTs;it is even superior to that of UHPC with a high steel fiber content.

Nanomechanical Characteristics of Interfacial Transition Zone in Nano-Engineered Concrete

This study investigates the effects of nanofillers on the interfacial transition zone(ITZ)between aggregate and cement paste by using nanoindentation and statistical nanoindentation techniques.Moreover,the underlying mechanisms are revealed through micromechanical modeling.The nanoindentation results indicate that incorporating nanofillers increases the degree of hydration in the ITZ,reduces the content of micropores and low-density calcium silicate hydrate(LD C-S-H),and increases the content of highdensity C-S-H(HD C-S-H)and ultra high-density C-S-H(UHD C-S-H).In particular,a new phase,namely nano-core-induced low-density C-S-H(NCILD C-S-H),with a superior hardness of 2.50 GPa and an indentation modulus similar to those of HD C-S-H or UHD C-S-H was identified in this study.The modeling results revealed that the presence of nanofillers increased the packing density of LD CS-H and significantly enhanced the interaction(adhesion and friction)among the basic building blocks of C-S-H gels owing to the formation of nano-core-shell elements,thereby facilitating the formation of NCILD C-S-H and further improving the performance of the ITZ.This study provides insight into the effects of nano fillers on the ITZ in concrete at the nanoscale.

Vertical distribution and temporal evolution of formaldehyde and glyoxal derived from MAX-DOAS observations:The indicative role of VOC sources

Formaldehyde(HCHO)and glyoxal(CHOCHO)are important oxidization intermediates of most volatile organic compounds(VOCs),but their vertical evolution in urban areas is not well understood.Vertical profiles of HCHO,CHOCHO,and nitrogen dioxide(NO_(2))were retrieved from ground-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy(MAXDOAS)observations in Hefei,China.HCHO and CHOCHO vertical profiles prefer to occur at higher altitudes compared to NO_(2),which might be caused by the photochemistry-oxidation of longer-lived VOCs at higher altitudes.Monthly means of HCHO concentrations were higher in summer,while enhanced amounts of NO_(2)were mainly observed in winter.CHOCHO exhibited a hump-like seasonal variation,with higher monthly-averaged values not only occurred in warm months(July-August)but also in cold months(November-December).Peak values mainly occurred during noon for HCHO but emerged in the morning for CHOCHO and NO_(2),suggesting that HCHO is stronger link to photochemistry than CHOCHO.We further use the glyoxal to formaldehyde ratio(GFR)to investigate the VOC sources at different altitudes.The lowest GFR value is almost found in the altitude from 0.2 to 0.4 km,and then rises rapidly as the altitude increases.The GFR results indicate that the largest contributor of the precursor VOC is biogenic VOCs at lower altitudes,while at higher altitudes is anthropogenic VOCs.Our findings provide a lot more insight into VOC sources at vertical direction,but more verification is recommended to be done in the future.

Development and sensing performance study of a smart CFRP cable assembled by multi-group anchorage units

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP)can be applied for bridge cables due to its excellent properties.As the important load-bearing structural component,real-time force monitoring of the CFRP cable is required.This paper presents a new smart CFRP cable that combines the self-sensing rods with embedded sensors and the anchorage system using extrusion technology.By embedding optical fiber(OF)and coaxial cable Fabry-Perot interferometer(CCFPI)into CFRP rods respectively,two types of self-sensing rods(CFRP-OF rod and CFRP-CCFPI rod)were fabricated.A new anchorage unit using an extrusion process was proposed as a basic component of smart CFRP cables.Anchorage units holding a CFRP-OF rod and a CFRP-CCFPI rod were tested to obtain their sensing and mechanical properties.Three ancho-rage units were assembled to form a smart CFRP cable with self-sensing functionality.A verification test was carried out to confirm the capabil-ity of monitoring the cable force.The test results demonstrate that the smart CFRP cable composed of multiple anchorage units has good potential in bridge engineering.

Long-term performance of packaged fiber Bragg grating sensors for strain monitoring inside creep medium

To investigate the long-term performance of the packaged fiber Bragg grating(FBG)sensors embedded in civil infrastructure for strain monitoring,in this paper,the influence of host matrix’s creep effect on the behavior of the FBG sensors was systematically studied through theoretical,numerical,and experimental analysis.A theoretical strain transfer analysis between the optic fiber,packaging layer,and host matrix to consider the creep effect of the host matrix was performed accordingly for long-term strain monitoring.Parametric studies were carried out using numerical analysis for FBG sensors packaged with glass fiber reinforced plastic(GFRP),also known as FBG-GFRP sensors in concrete,as an example.The results show that embedded in a creep medium,an acceptable long-term performance of packaged FBG sensors requires the packaging layer to have a minimum length and maximum thickness.Laboratory long-term creep tests using epoxy resin and concrete as host matrix for FBG-GFRP sensors also clearly demonstrated that the influence of creep effect cannot be ignored for strain measurements if the host matrix has a creep potential and the developed correction model performed well to reduce measurement errors of such sensors in creep medium.

The typhoon effect on the aerodynamic performance of a floating offshore wind turbine

The wind energy resource is considerably rich in the deep water of China South Sea,where wind farms have to face the challenge of extreme typhoon events.In this work,the typhoon effect on the aerodynamic performance of the 5MW OC3-Hywind floating offshore wind turbine(FOWT)system has been investigated,based on the Aero-Hydro-Servo-Elastic FAST code.First,considering the full field observation data of typhoon“Damrey”is a long duration process with significant turbulence and high wind speed,so one 3-h representative truncated typhoon wind speed time history has been selected.Second,the effects of both the(variable-speed and collective-pitch)control system of NREL 5 MW wind turbine and the motion of the floating platform on the blade aerodynamic performance of the FOWT system during the representative typhoon time history has been investigated,based on blade element momentum(BEM)theory(coupled with potential theory for the calculation of the hydrodynamic loads of the Spar platform).Finally,the effects of different wind turbine control strategies,control parameter(KP-KI)combinations,wave heights and parked modes on the rotor aerodynamic responses of the FOWT system have been clarified.The extreme typhoon event can result in considerably large extreme responses of the rotor thrust and the generated power due to the possible blade pitch angle error phenomenon.One active-parked strategy has been proposed for reducing the maximum aerodynamic responses of the FOWT system during extreme typhoon events.

Wireless sensing experiments for structural vibration monitoring of offshore platform

In order to validate the feasibility of applying wireless sensing technique to structural monitoring of offshore platform,the experiment of wireless sensor network on offshore platform is presented in this paper.First,wireless sensor network and its topology structure is put forward,and the design of sensor nodes,base station,communication protocol is discussed according to selfdeveloped wireless sensor network.Second,true offshore platform and its experimental model are introduced.Finally,wireless sensing experiment for offshore platform structure is completed and the analysis of the experimental result is given.The research shows that wireless sensor network applied to offshore platform can reflect the vibration of the structure;the sensor nodes are fixed and removed expediently,which saves the cost of signal line as well as installation time.

Exploring the impact of new particle formation events on PM_(2.5) pollution during winter in the Yangtze River Delta,China

New particle formation(NPF)events are an increasingly interesting topic in air quality and climate science.In this study,the particle number size distributions,and the frequency of NPF events over Hefei were investigated from November 2018 to February 2019.The proportions of the nucleation mode,Aitken mode,and accumulation mode were 24.59%,53.10%,and 22.30%,respectively,which indicates the presence of abundant ultrafine particles in Hefei.Forty-six NPF events occurred during the observation days,accounting for 41.82%of the entire observation period.Moreover,the favorable meteorological conditions,potential precursor gases,and PM_(2.5)range of the NPF events were analyzed.Compared to non-NPF days,the NPF events preferentially occurred on days with lower relative humidity,higher wind speeds,and higher temperatures.When the PM_(2.5) was 15–20,70–80,and105–115μg/m^(3),the frequency of the NPF events was higher.Nucleation mode particles were positively related to atmospheric oxidation indicated by ozone when PM_(2.5) ranged from 15 to 20μg/m^(3),and related to gaseous precursors like SO_(2) and NO_(2) when PM_(2.5)was located at 70-80 and 105–115μg/m^(3).On pollution days,NPF events did not directly contribute to the increase in the PM_(2.5) in the daytime,however,NPF events would occur during the night and the growth of particulate matter contributes to the nighttime PM_(2.5) contents.This could lead to pollution that lasted into the next day.These findings are significant to the improvement of our understanding of the effects of aerosols on air quality.

A novel smart steel strand based on optical-electrical co-sensing for full-process and full-scale monitoring of prestressing concrete structures

As the main load bearing component,the steel strand has a significant impact on the safety of civil infrastructure.Real-time monitoring of steel strand stress distribution throughout the damage process is an impor-tant aspect of civil infrastructure health assessment.Hence,this study proposes an optical-electrical co-sensing(OECS)smart steel strand with the DOFS and CCFPI embedded in.It can simultaneously measure small strains in the initial damage phase with high accuracy and obtain information in the large deformation phase with relatively low precision.Several experiments were carried out to test its sensing performance.It shows both DOFS and CCFPI have good linearity,repeatability and hysteresis.In comparison to DOFS,CCFPI has a relatively lower accuracy and resolution,but a large enough measurement range to tolerate the large strain in the event of a steel strand failure.To verify the reliability of the proposed smart steel strand in real structures,the strand strain distribution in the full damage process of bonded prestressed beams under four-point bending loading was monitored using the smart steel strand as a prestressing tendon.The strain measured by the OECS steel strand is shown to reflect the deformation and stiffness variation of prestressed beams under different load.

Windborne debris damage prediction analysis

Windborne debris is one of the most important causes of the envelop destruction according to the postdamage investigations.The problem of windborne debris damage could be summarized as three parts,including windborne debris risk analysis,debris flying trajectories,and impact resistance of envelope analysis.The method of debris distribution is developed.The flying trajectories of compact and plate-like debris are solved by using a numerical method according to the different aerodynamic characteristics.The impact resistance of the envelopes is also analyzed.Besides,the process of windborne debris damage analysis is described in detail.An example of industrial building is given to demonstrate the whole method by using the observed data of typhoon Chanchu(2006).The method developed in this paper could be applied to risk assessment of windborne debris for structures in wind hazard.